Food-conveying apparatus



May 8, 1928. 1,669,246

1 -c. E. JENKINS FOOD CONVEYING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 8', 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Fly]- Patented May 8, 1928.

CHARLES 'E. JENKINS, or Bos'rommAss oHusnrrs. p

FOOD-CONVEYING APPARATUS.

Application filed November This invention relates to apparatus forpreparing and serving food. It is especially concerned with apparatusfor keeping food at substantially the desired temperature while it isbeing transported from one point to another, as for instance, from thekitchen 'to'a ward or serving room of a hospital.

The invention aims to devise an apparatus of this character whichwill beparticularly eiiicient, will be convenient to use, can be manufacturedeconon'iically. andwhich can be kept in an absolutely" clean andsanitary condition. I

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims;

Referring now to the drawings,

Figure -1 is a perspective view of an apparatus constructed inaccordance with this invention;

1 Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe casing form-- .ing a portion of theapparatus shown in igf i A Fig. .3 is an end view of the apparatus shownin Fig.1; and t A: v i.

Fig. fl is a cross sectional view through the upper part of theapparatus showing certain details of construction; I

The apparatus shown comprises a truck including a. body, the frame ofwhich'is made of angle iron or other metal bar'snhav ing an angularcross section; The angular bars are connected by sheet metal plates toform a structure oi the desired. din'iensions. This body includes :fourangular members, designated at 3, Figs. 1 and:2, which project upwardlyfrom the .tour corners of the body and the two angle members at thefront and rear are connected by an angle bar 4.

Seated on the two angle bars a d and positioned between the'four cornermembers 3, is a box or casing 5 having a series of pockets formedtherein to receive food con tainers. The casing preferably is made otsheet metal, and each pocket has two walls with an air space betweenthem. i t i Referring to Fig. 1, it will be vseenthat these pockets aremade by placing two vessels 6 and 7, respectively one within the other,the inner vessel 6 being smaller in depth and diameter than the outervessel 7. These vessels may consist simply of metal 8, 1922, Serial n6.599,730.

f he te g l 7 is soldered to the plate 8 at 10.. This provides a'scaledair space 12 between the inner. and outer vessels 6 and 7.Preferably,although n'otnecessarily, this space is filled with groundcork or other suitable heat insulating material, and the spaoeiu thecasing 5 between adjacent yes sels 7 is also filled with ground corkorthe like, as clearly shown in'FigQ i.

The food to be prepared or served is placed in cans or containers,preferably-0t the construction shown [at 14 Y in Fig. 4. Thesecontainers fit snugly within the inner vesselh, and the upper end ofeachcontainer is closed by-a cover 15 that fits snugly with in the top ofthecontainer.

For the purpose of reducing so far as possible the radiation of heatfrom the food containers,'afheat"insulating cover is provided,preferably madein two sections designated at 16and 17,respectively,these sectionsbeing hinged to the opposite ends of thecasing 5. The construction of this cover is best. shown in Fig 4;,fro'inwhich itwill beseenthatitis a hollow. sheet metal struc tureincluding an inner plate 18 and intermediate plates 19a1id 20.1 The twointer-. mediate platesa're soldered to the ed ge poi? tion of the main;body of the cover, while the inner plate 18 isoonnected to the mainportion of the cover by zitGlQScuPe joint 21 which is soldered. Thisprovides a sealed air space between'theplates 18 andill). The

space between the plates 19 and 20 and'between the plate 19and theoutermost plate are preferably filled with heat insulating material,such as ground cork. I I

It should be noted that the innermost plate ISof thecover hasa raised"margin and an inset central portion softh'at when this coveris in itsclosed position, as shown in Fig. 1, itwill fit snugly againstfthe marginalportion of the top of the casing 5, while] the jc'entral portion ofthe plate 18 will bearon the covers 15 of the food con tainers and holdthem' securelyin place.

This arrangement enables-the plate; 18 to yield or. spring toa-ccomrnodate'itself to t variations in the positions of the covers 15.

Each cover 16 is provided with suitable handles 22 and withlocking lugs23 designed to cooperate with looking levers 24 of the 2' toggle type toclamp the cover securely in its closed position. Two curved links 2525are pivotally secured to opposite sides of each of the covers, and areslotted to receive pins 26 which project from the sides of the casing 5,these parts serving to limit the opening movement of the covers.

It will be understood that the number, form, arrangement and dimensionsof the food containing pockets may vary with the requirements of eachindividual case, and that the constructions therefore differ in theseparticulars according'to the circumstances. Inasnnich as the casing 5 isremovably supported in the body of the truck, the same style of truckcan readily be fitted with any suitable design ot' food casing.

A considerable space is provided in the truck body below the casing 5,and this space may be divided by suitable partitions and shelves to suitthe requirements of each individual case. Usually this space is employedto" carry the dishes on which the food is to be served. In someinstances it is desiredthat this chamber be left open at one side, whilein others it is closed by a door. Figs. 1 and 3 show such a door orcover 28 provided with a handle 29 and hinged at 30, Fig. 3, so that itcan be-tipped upwardly into a horizontal open position. In some cases,however, sliding doors are provided and in others a drop door hinged atits lower'edge is used.

The weight of the truck is'supported on wheels, preferably four innumber, two designated at 3l31 being mounted in the middle of the bodyon brackets secured fast to the bottom of the truck, so that the axes ofthe wheels are fixed with respect to the body while two others 3232 arelocated at the opposite ends and are swivelled. This enables the truckto be rolled to the desired point and turned around within its ownlength.

Preferably, as above stated, the truck is made entirely of metal. Thecasing 5 and the plates which enclose the chamber below the casingusually are made of Monel metal, all the metal parts being polished. Thecasing joints are sealed by solder so that all the surfaces of theapparatus on which food could lodge are readily accessible and can beeasily cleaned. It is a simple matter, therefore, to keep the apparatusin an entirely sanitary condition. The apparatus can be manufacturedeconomically, and it is so sturdy and substantial inconstruction thatdepreciation and wear are reduced to a minimum.

\Vhile I have herein shown and described the best embodiment of myinvention which I have so far devised, it will be appreciated that thisembodiment may be modified in many particulars without departing fromthe spiritor scope o-fthe invention.

Having thus described my invention, what desire to claim as new is:

1. In a food conveying apparatus, the combination of a casing havingsubstantially flat metal top plate, forming a cover for theentire'casing, and having an opening therein, a pocket within saidcasing to'receive a food container, said pocket comprising two sheetmetal vessels supported in spaced nonconducting relationship throughout,one within the other, the upper edge of theouter vessel being secured tothe lower side of the top plate, and the top oi the inner vessel havingan interlocking joint with said top plate around the edge of the openingwhereby a sealed air space is provided between said vessels, heatinsulating material surrounding the outer vessel and insulating saidvessel from the walls of the casing and a heat insulating cover hingedto said 35 casing for covering the upper end'of said pocket.

2. A portable food conveying apparatus comprising a frame formed ofupright angle irons connected below the top thereof, plates secured tosaid frame and cooperatingtherewith to form a body, a. sheet'met'al'casing slidahle between said upright ironsandpositioned thereby,said casing being supported inspaced relation to the'bottom of th ebody, said casing having a pocket therein to receive a food container,means for heat insulating said pocket, a heat insulating cover hinged tosaid casing and arranged to cover the outer'end of said pocket and achamber 1 0 in the lower part of said body below the casing.

3.111 a food conveying apparatus, the combination of a casing having "asubstantiallyfiat metal top plate, said casing having 5 a plurality ofpockets therein toreceive food containers, each of said pocketscomprising two sheet metal vessels spaced from each other at all pointsone within the other, the upper edge of the outer vessel being secured110 to the lowerside of said top plate, and the top of the inner vesselhaving an interlocking joint with said top plate, whereby a sealed airspace is provided between said vessels, a cover for said inner vesseland a 115 heat insulating cover hinged to said casing. said heatinsulating cover engaging said top plate and being recessed to fit thevessel cover and adapted to press said vessel cover into sealingengagement with the top edge 12 of the vessel.

' CHARLES E. JENKINS.

